Fecal test questions

[chelizard]

I have struggled to get a fecal test for my chameleon for a few reasons – (1) the nearest exotic vet is a 2 hour drive from my house, (2) all vets require that I make bring my chameleon in for a visit before doing a fecal test, (3) the quote for an exam + full fecal is ~$400 and (4) I don't currently have a working vehicle.

It's very difficult to coax my chameleon out of his enclosure and I can't guarantee if I make an appointment he will even poop within 24 hours of the appointment. For that reason I feel quite stuck, even though I know how important it is to get the test.

My question is, how can I ensure there will be a fresh fecal sample at the time of appointment so I'm not having to drive 4 hours in one day with my angry chameleon with no result, and maybe have to do that multiple times? Is this a normal process for vet care?

 

[regal81455]

FWIW I was able to find a local vet willing to send out the fecal sample to a lab with the understanding that no treatment can be made without seeing him in person. I was in the same boat as you. Didn't want to stress the little guy out for no reason and didn't want to have to try to time the visit and his pooping schedule lol. Might see if you can't work that out with your local vet. The cost for the full fecal was $78 for reference. GL!

 

[chelizard]

FWIW I was able to find a local vet willing to send out the fecal sample to a lab with the understanding that no treatment can be made without seeing him in person. I was in the same boat as you. Didn't want to stress the little guy out for no reason and didn't want to have to try to time the visit and his pooping schedule lol. Might see if you can't work that out with your local vet. The cost for the full fecal was $78 for reference. GL!

Oh man, I'm really happy to hear you were able to work that out with a local vet. I'm also worried about stressing out my chameleon! Sadly I called every vet in my city and nearby (more than 20 vets!) and they refused to do fecal testing without a physical exam. They didn't have any good reason (I'm guessing they just want more $ from me) when I explained how my cham doesn't poop on a schedule and it would really stress him out

That being said, does anyone think a mail-in service would work? I am concerned by the time the sample arrives and they process it that too much time will have passed for the test to be effective.

 

[MissSkittles]

Oh man, I'm really happy to hear you were able to work that out with a local vet. I'm also worried about stressing out my chameleon! Sadly I called every vet in my city and nearby (more than 20 vets!) and they refused to do fecal testing without a physical exam. They didn't have any good reason (I'm guessing they just want more $ from me) when I explained how my cham doesn't poop on a schedule and it would really stress him out

That being said, does anyone think a mail-in service would work? I am concerned by the time the sample arrives and they process it that too much time will have passed for the test to be effective.

I’m not certain, but I believe it is the law that they see the animal before they prescribe anything. What is your city? Maybe we can help you find an exotics vet that’s closer.

 

[chelizard]

I’m not certain, but I believe it is the law that they see the animal before they prescribe anything. What is your city? Maybe we can help you find an exotics vet that’s closer.

That makes sense, thank you for sharing that. I live in San Francisco – and for anyone in the Bay Area who searches this forum in the future for an exotic vet, here's my updated and running list:

Exotic Pet Clinic of Santa Cruz​

5400 Scotts Valley Dr Suite B, Scotts Valley, CA 95066
(831) 440-8590

Ohana Animal Hospital​

2844 Las Positas Rd, Livermore, CA 94551
(925) 394-4990

Clayton Valley Pet Hospital​

4801 Clayton Rd, Concord, CA 94521
(925) 689-4600

*** Note: there is an exotic vet who mostly sees birds in SF, but the East Bay Vivarium (and several other reptile owners I've met) strongly advise against bringing chameleons there.

There is also an emergency vet in Berkeley who sees exotics 2x per week (PETS Referral Center) but they quoted $400+ for exam + fecal.

There is a bigger list on this forum for Bay Area cham vets but many of the vets are no longer open or seeing reptiles. I called Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital, which is listed here as having an exotic vet, and they told me that provider left and they saw many exotic practices close during the pandemic.

 

[Flick boy]

400 dollar's that's mad , I got my boy fecal test ( sent to a person via post who runs a private business, for £15 pounds

 

[MissSkittles]

@jannb Do you know of any good vets in San Francisco?

 

[jannb]

@jannb Do you know of any good vets in San Francisco?

Ken Harkewicz, VMD Berkeley Dog & Cat Hospital 2126 Haste Street Berkeley, CA 94704 510-848-5041 was the best but he recently passed away. Some other vet there might be able to do a fecal. @Coop do you know any other vets around there?

This one is in Livermore
https://www.theohanaanimalhospital.com/